Skis are generally attached to aircraft landing gear by a welding an attachment bracket to the landing gear. Aircraft landing gear are made with heat treated, tempered alloy steel, and thus welding of the attachment bracket to the landing gear can compromise the steel due to the intense high temperatures generated by the welding process.
Attaching such brackets requires the installer to perfectly align the bracket, secure the bracket during the welding process and to protect the aircraft itself from the hazards of the welding process. The hazards of the welding process include an extremely high heat source, sparks, and an electrical current on an aircraft containing highly volatile fuel.